The present invention relates to an information seal for clearly indicating various information of products, such as serial numbers, ID numbers, area codes, etc., more specifically information seal from which the various information can be read on the side of products with the information seal adhered to.
Generally seals with serial numbers, etc. printed on are adhered to parts, e.g., the back sides of domestic electric products, typically television sets, audio sets,. etc., for possible later product administration and guarantee, and maintenance. However, the information of the seals is indicated to be read visually by human eyes. The information can not be correctly read or is unreadably due to smear states.
On the other hand, increased numbers of electronic apparatuses, such as video game machines, personal computers, etc. have information, such as serial numbers, ID numbers, etc., specifically assigned to the apparatuses electrically recorded in the memories, such as EEP-ROM, etc., incorporated in the electronic apparatuses.
However, it can not help saying that recording product information in devices, such as memories, etc., thus built in the electronic apparatuses take much labor and cost unsuitably for inexpensive mass-production. If the product information is recorded in such way, usually the information recorded in memories, such as EEP-ROM, etc., can not be read without putting the electronic apparatuses in operation. The information can not be read when the electronic apparatuses themselves malfunction. Accordingly, in malfunctions, etc., it will take time and labor to read the information, and finding causes and countermeasures will be delayed.
An object of the present invention is to provide an information seal from which permits information, such as serial numbers, ID numbers, areal codes, etc., to be easily read both electrically and visually.
The above-described object is achieved by an information seal comprising information recorded visibly on one side of a sheet, and a conduction pattern formed on the other side of the sheet, which corresponds to the information.
Operators can visually confirm the information by means of the visible information clearly indicated on one side of the information seal, and the information can be electrically read by the conduction pattern formed on the other side of the information seal.
In the above-described information seal it is possible that an adhesive for adhering the information seal to a product is applied to the other side of the sheet. The information seal can be easily adhered to a product.
In the above-described information seal it is possible that the conduction pattern includes a plurality of sets of terminal patterns opposed to each other, and a connection pattern interconnecting the terminal patterns of a required one of the sets corresponding to the information. Depending on which of a plurality of sets of opposed terminal patterns are interconnected with each other, various product information can be indicated.
In the above-described information seal it is preferable that the information is one of a serial number of the product for the information seal to be adhered to, an ID number and an areal code, or a combination of them.
In the above-described information seal it is possible that visible information is formed on said one side.
In the above-described information seal it is possible that the sheet is transparent; the visible information is formed on said the other side of the sheet; and the information is visible through the sheet from the side of said one side of the sheet. The information can be visually recognized through the transparent sheet on the side of one side of the sheet.
In the above-described information sheet it is possible that the visible information is formed of a letter and/or a visible code. The information can be read by reading devices.
As described above, according to the present invention, visible information is clearly indicated on one side of the information seal, and a conduction pattern which is electrically readable is provided on the other side of the information seal, whereby the visible information can be visually read, and the information can be electrically read by the conduction pattern. Accordingly, the information seal is very useful in electrically processing product information by computers. The conduction pattern of the information seal can be mass-produced, and the information seal with the conduction pattern can be easily adhered to by simple operations, whereby labor and costs can be drastically reduced in comparison with cases where memories, such as the conventional EEP-ROM, etc. are used. Furthermore, when the information seal is damaged by a cause, or information recorded on the information seal must be changed due to a reason, the information seal is simply replaced.